There was a lot of stuff happening this episode (and, you know, Tommen stuff), so the three masters of the Citadel of Crazytown jump all over the episode to find the most delicious bits. First, Da7e and Neil put Joanna in Social Justice Warrior time out to talk about hopes of the #CleganeBowl. Then, Joanna roars back to talk about how Jon Snow does not have a wolf brain. Everyone liked the Tower of Joy bits we got this episode and Da7e thinks he knows why Bran can interact with people in his visions (and how this will go badly, because it’s Game of Thrones).

HEADS UP – mid-way through the episode, we’re unable to hold back the juicy spoilers we’ve heard about the Battle of the Bastards this season. If you’re here for informed speculation spoilage, this is the season six moment you’ve been waiting for!

You asked why Brienne would be sent to the Riverlands. My theory is that she isn’t going after Arya. Sansa’s uncle Blackfish (Cat’s brother) is in the Riverlands, more specifically under siege in Riverrun. Brienne and Pod could be sent to send him or as envoys to act as diplomats to figure out a peace considering their friendly nature with the Lannisters.

I just started listening to your podcast this season, and I really enjoy the different perspectives and predictions. After the most recent podcast, I felt compelled to write in with a few thoughts/notes:

1) Further evidence of Jon’s change since returning wasn’t as much that he killed the traitors, but HOW he killed them. He put aside his lessons of honor from Ned, regarding a swift clean kill by beheading, and instead chose to kill the traitors with a very painful, somewhat prolonged, and dishonorable death. I agree that he had that look in his eye when approaching Ollie, that if Ollie would have just given him something to work with, a show of contrition of any kind, he might have spared him, however Ollie true to his shitty nature, just scowled in contempt.

2) People are upset that Jon showed any hesitation at all during the traitor’s hanging, and for that I would say that the conversation he JUST had regarding the nothingness after death, was still resonating in his mind as he looked at the men, and boy, that he was about to send into nothingness, and gave him pause to wonder if ANY man deserves the fate of nothingness. Yet he pushed forward and did what he needed to do.

3) It appeared to me that the tunnel Jon walked towards at the end of the episode, after ending his watch, was the NORTH Gate Tunnel. Could Jon possibly be heading North to the Weirwood Grove for answers? Answers to why he is alive again, where he should go next, and how to stop the Others?

4) Many people took a big shit on Sam’s storyline and it’s deviation from Old Town, to Sam’s home. I posit this theory, to hopefully bring some levity to Sam’s journey….Sam’s father has one of the remaining Valyrian swords left in the Kingdom, and Sam already knows the importance Valyrian steel will play in the upcoming battle with the Others. I believe that part of Sam’s plan in stopping by his old house, is to get his father’s sword, to eventually either use himself, or more likely take back to Jon for someone more skilled to use, such as Tormund. During this trip home, I am hoping that when Sam’s father hears his son’s harrowing tale about the Others, and his own personal victory against an Other one on one, that Sam’s father will willingly give him his sword, as well as maybe sharing some crucial information on where more Valyrian steel, and/or obsidian, can be found. Sam will use his access to information from the Citadel to effectively locate all of the major obsidian and Valyrian steel stashes that have remained hidden for so long.

5) I know he wasn’t in this episode, but I have to bring up Euron, and the fact the timing of his arrival somewhat coincided with the destruction of Danny’s ships. Everyone has seemed to just gloss over the burnt ships, and have taken it as fact that the Sons of the Harpy burnt the ships….but think about that for a minute…why would the Sons of the Harpy do that?? If they wanted Danny and her followers gone, why would they destroy her one way of leaving?? If I REALLY wanted my girlfriend to leave the house, I wouldn’t steal her keys or set her car on fire. Seems more likely that someone who obviously has grand plans such as Euron, would create a vacuum (destroying the ships), that only he could fill, instantly making him a relevant player at this late stage in the game.

I have so much more, but I will be lucky if anyone even gets through all of this, so I will end my watch here….

So what is most surprising, Tommen Baratheon; King of the Seven Kingdoms, Balon Greyjoy; winner of The War of the Five Kings, or Dolorous Edd: 1000th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch? Because if you count the five minutes Alistair was in charge, we’re at 1000.

Side note; hearing his name from book readers I thought it was “Howling” Reed, so I was expecting him to be an eccentric wild man with a giant beard and crazy eyes, and they I saw the credits and was like, “oh, Howland, that makes more sense”.

I love when people say they’re “Liberal, progressive people” in the same breath they unironically use the term “social justice warrior” as an insult.

Is that book of the stranger still there in the show? The prelude to Crows has ‘the Alchemist’ (everyone suspects Jaqen because their descriptions are identical) kill Pate for the key to Oldtown’s library before Sam and Gilly arrive. And then it’s never mentioned again. Unless the timeline is out of order, Jaqen impersonates Pate. So Sam finds the book, and reads something revelatory before “a man’s” voice appears and kills him? Seems something the show would do, very simple. It depends if that’s a stall too but why would George put something inconsequential as a prologue (although if anyone can explain the whole Thistle thing to me be my guest).

PS. Do we think Three Eyed Raven is evil like Melisandre’s ADWD vision? If Bran’s more powerful, lure him there to learn something important. Or that R’hllor showed her the thousands of red eyes surrounding his corpse white wooden face because R’hllor is a tool.

Hey SoSers – I haven’t listened to the podcast yet (I’m all excited to do so), but just thought I’d let you know (in case it matters for iTunes or somesuch) that you titled the episode SOS 26 – skipping the number 25 (last week was 24).

You guys keep talking about Cersei dying this season…but doesn’t Tommen have to die first? How do you think that will happen? And do you think they have enough time to kill them both off organically, or will it be another symptom of #EfficiencyIsComing?

The audio on this episode was all over the place. I could barely hear Joanna while Neil & Dave were pretty loud. I listen during my commute on the MTA and it sucks to lose the info in a drawl of noise. Can you please tighten that up next week.

Hey! Turns out our server groaned under the weight of all the early downloading and restored a copy of the file that was mixed incorrectly. There was what I estimate to be a 12 hour hole where some people got a quieter version of the file. This has been fixed and you can redownload the episode here or on your podcasting device to get the louder version.

Why do you guys seem so convinced whenever you talk about the big fantasy battles coming in the future that people will bypass Winterfell so fast for the heading of further south? A lot of space is given in the books and somewhat the show to show just how big and fortified a complex Winterfell is. The hot spring under it is also a constant feature that is brought up as is the ability for people to live Winters there in the past. I see Winterfell not as a pitstop on the way south but more as a Seige / Obstacle in that armies movement south, and a really good place for a bunch of people to have a thrilling Last Stand.

As for the Tin Foil

I think Show Euron is actually Book Doran. All the sly planning and the wooing of Queens + Boats and Gods of the Deep. What could go wrong?

That is why they saved the Greyjoys for this spot, they have been waiting in those weeds for so long….seaweeds.

Of course the easiest thing in the world is to come in at the end and say “obviously this should have been this way!”, but couldn’t, just re-jiggering a few pieces, they have gotten the same effect at the end of S5 while maintaining the spirit of the books? Not as a book purist, just because it’s more complex material, which is always better. Sansa escapes with Theon around Episode 7 or 8, meets Brienne, they leave, Stannis just gets crushed by the Boltons, Sansa and Brienne make it to Winterfell just in time for Jon to get a letter from Ramsay demanding he return her, and they arrive as he’s rallying the Night’s Watch/breaking his oath, and stabbed to death by reluctant brothers, some holding a shouting Edd back. Part of the wumph- of the Red Wedding with Arya being so close could have been replicated, with Sansa, finally safe, once more having the only family she has left stolen. Then cliffhanger, S6 picks up the same way. Although really, have Stannis taken captive and have to live with what he did to his daughter, if you really want to give Brienne the opportunity to off him in the Battle of the Bastards.

also do we know who’s next in succession for the Iron Throne if/when Tommen dies? GRRM said recently (I think it was a S3 DVD special panel) that “a few people are going to sit on it before this is all over”. Googled it, and the ASOIAF forums can’t seem to come to any conclusion.

Would you please make a visit to Crazytown and the Crackpotitude Cathedral and speculate about who/what/when/where episode 609’s battle will be? Will Dany, Jon, Sansa, Tyrion, Arya, Littlefinger, Yara, Theon ALL be involved in re-taking Winterfell? Do they then turn south to shut down Cersei? Or will the Tyrells do that first? Or does seizing the Iron Throne wait until after the Whitewalkers are defeated? Is it likely that the last two shortened seasons are about crushing the Whitewalkers?

And no one ever mentions that technically, since Sansa was married to Tyrion before Littlefinger dumped her with the Boltons, doesn’t that marriage still exist? So, isn’t she some sort of heir to the Iron Throne?